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Archives for October 2015

Having dry skin is something I deal with a lot at this time of year, as most of us probably do. No matter what I do, it just keeps coming back. That being said, finding a good moisturizer is a hassle, especially one that’s suitable for my skin.

I also have very sensitive eyes; not in the sense where they look sad all the time, but I can’t use a lot of products due to the fact that they’ll get irritated very quickly. Most eye makeup removers cause my eyes to sting something fierce, and believe it, it’s not a very pleasant feeling. I also suffer from psoriasis, which of late has been affecting the skin around my nose, and on my cheeks. That in mind, I needed to find something that would help soothe my skin, and moisturize the hell out of it.

On a completely different note, I’ve been noticing lately that my face, particularly my chin, has been breaking out more than normal. I’ve been blessed with fairly clear skin my entire life, but as I approach my late 20’s (moment to swallow that information please – LATE 20s!!! .. alright, moment over), I’m realizing that skincare is just as important as brushing your teeth and showering.

On the search for products to help fix my skin, I went into The Body Shop. After chatting with the sales associate (who seemed to know what she was talking about), I left with two products I’m pleased to say I quite enjoy! One to help keep my skin clear, and one to moisturize the crap out of it.

VITAMIN C MICRODERMABRASION

This product is a once weekly exfoliant that’s full of shea butter and, duh, Vitamin C.

According to the sales associate, this Vitamin C line is considered the BLT skincare line – Brighten, Lighten, and Tighten. Most of the time when I’m exfoliating, it feels like I’m rubbing handfuls of little tiny rocks all over my face, which makes me not want to do it again. Ever. After using this, which essentially is full of little tiny rocks, my face didn’t hurt and felt smoother right away. I’m excited to see if after a few weeks of use it actually does brighten, lighten and tighten my face.

It’s a concentrated, thick, pink goop that’s full of Vitamin E, which is fantastic for dry skin. This should be applied as the very last step in your skincare routine. After I gave myself a mini-facial with my new Vitamin C Microdermabrasion cream, I put a decent layer of this all over my face. Instantly, and I honestly mean instantly, I could feel a difference in my skin. Even when I touch my face now, it doesn’t feel dry or rough; instead, it’s smooth, and almost refreshed. What I love about this product is that it’s a mask, which means I don’t have to apply it every day. Unlike other face masks, however, you don’t have to wash this one off. Just apply, and let it soak into your skin and nourish every little inch of it.

Last night, the Toronto Blue Jays took on the Kansas City Royals in Game 6 of the ALCS.

It was ‘do or die’ for the Jays. The game itself was a crazy one to watch, regardless of my falling in and out of sleep due to the night time Buckley’s cold medication I took. In the top of the 8th inning, the Jays were down 3-1, and then Bautista hits a 2-run home run and ties the game. At that moment, I was awake, no matter how badly those pills wanted to knock me out. In retrospect, I kind of wish I slept through the nailbiting 9th inning because then I wouldn’t have been able to witness the look of disappointment on the Jays’ faces.

The Jays fell 4-3 to the Royals, ending their run in the ALCS. Insert sad face here.

After 22 years, the Jays made it to the playoffs, only to have the World Series taken away from them like candy from a baby. Granted, they played their hearts out, but it would have been great to watch the Jays get the ALCS Pennant, and make it to the World Series.

Now, I’m not saying that the Royals didn’t deserve to win, and this isn’t me crying and whining about the Blue Jays losing; it’s actually quite the opposite. No matter the outcome, what was truly magical about the Jays making it so far into the playoffs as they did was that fact that Toronto’s community was able to bond over the team’s success. No matter where you were in the city, Jays apparel was pretty much everywhere. Sitting on the subway, you’re bound to see someone in a Jays hat or shirt, and you can’t help but smile when you do. Often times, in passing, you’d hear people discussing the game or the team in some way; Blue Jays this, Blue Jays that.

The city was buzzing Blue Jays.

The city is STILL buzzing Blue Jays, and I think it’ll be this way for a while.

Even though they lost, they’re still winners. I know that sounds cheesy and cliché, but no matter the outcome, I really do think the Jays played their baseball shaped hearts out. They made the city proud with all of their hits, home runs, and double plays. Bautista’s bat flip is guaranteed to be talked about for months. I only just got into baseball a few years ago, but I know this team is definitely something special.

If you asked me 4 years ago whether or not I thought the Jays would ever make it this far, I would say no. But, what did I know about baseball back then? Exactly.

Ah, Autumn. The leaves are changing colours, the air is crisp, and there are Kleenex’s strewn all about my room. The one and only thing I absolutely despise about the change in weather is the fact that my immune system doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with me. Soon the sniffles begin, accompanied with the scratchy throat and that “foggy” feeling that swirls around your head making it nearly impossible to think straight.

That’s right. I have a cold.

I’m not one of those “oh I don’t want to take medication because it’s not all natural” people, but when it comes to a head cold, there’s really only so much you can do. Over the counter medication only helps to relieve your symptoms, but doesn’t allow your body to fight it off (or try to) on it’s own. I am a firm believer in nighttime tablets, though; those things help me sleep, and sleep is one of the main things you need when you’re sick.

Here are a few natural cold & flu remedies I like to rely on when I’m feeling like absolute garbage:

COLD 911 TEA FROM DAVID’S TEA
This is my go-to when I’m sick, or starting to feel a little run down. It’s loaded with peppermint, orange peels and orange oils, eucalyptus oil, and juniper berries. Basically, everything that’s good for you and helps you feel better. It helps with congestion, and it’s soothing to drink something that relieves pressure on your sinuses. I’m not joking when I say that I drink about 3 or 4 cups of this tea a day when I’m sick; it could quite possibly be 5 or 6. I buy this tea by the tin – it’s SO good. It’s a cold fighting super tea. Also, it’s an herbal tea so you can drink a nice, hot cup of it before bed and get right to bed. Head to David’s Tea to learn more about it, and other tea’s.

HOT WATER, GINGER, HONEY AND LEMON
When I have a scratchy, dry throat, I love some hot water with honey and lemon. The honey helps soothe the irritation from coughing and clearing your throat all the time, and the lemon is full of vitamin C, which is pretty great for you and helps your body fight off the cold. If you’re not feeling a hot beverage, a spoonful of honey is great when you can’t stop coughing. Ginger is great for soothing an upset stomach, but also provides extra help in fighting the flu and the common cold.

OIL OF OREGANO
Exactly like it sounds, it’s oregano oil. You can find it at Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall, and it comes in both liquid and pill form. It tastes absolutely horrible, so I recommend the pills. But, if you can stomach the taste (it’s really not THAT bad), it does speed up it’s effect. Just place a few drops underneath your tongue (this part of your mouth is the thinnest and it’ll help the oil of oregano enter your system faster), and wait around 30 seconds, or as long as you possibly can. Oil of oregano is especially effective if you begin taking it before you get sick; when you feel that first little scratch in your throat, run, don’t walk, and use this.

EPSOM SALT BATHS WITH EUCALYPTUS OIL
Epsom salt baths are great for muscle aches and pains. If you add a drop or two of eucalyptus oil to the mix, you’ve got a bath that smells great, will take away those sickly muscle aches, and will help clear out your sinuses. If you don’t feel like taking a bath just fill a medium sized bowl with super hot water and add a few drops to that. Grab a towel and throw it over your head, breathing in the steam and not letting it escape into the air around you.

NETFLIX AND BED
Seriously. Rest. Rest rest rest. The most important thing you can do when you’re feeling under the weather is sleep. When you’re sleeping, your body is trying its hardest to fight off whatever’s going on. The more you rest, the better you feel when you wake up. And Netflix.. well, Netflix just makes everything better.

Off the top of my head, these are just a few things that I do when I feel like absolute death, and other people may have different remedies to offer.

Today in Canada, citizens are casting their votes to elect a new leader. Prime Minister Harper, or the Dark Lord, as we like to call him, has proven to not be very good for our economy. It’s time for a change. Today, I helped the effort to make a change. At 11:30 this morning, I cast my vote.

I’m not a very political person per say, but there are things that Harper has been the ringleader of that I certainly don’t agree with. This entry isn’t going to be me telling you who to vote for, or why I think you should vote a certain way; I just want to voice my opinions on the topic, and tell you why I think it’s important that we vote.

One of my biggest peeves about Harper is the $45 million cuts he’s made to the Arts. I honestly don’t know what I would be doing in a world without music, film, poetry, dance, theatre.. the list is endless. Granted, yes, this was a few years ago, but even still – a world without some sort of art is mindless and monotonous. Back in 2008, in an interview with CTV’s Mike Duffy, Trudeau said, “Canadian identity is built around its creativity, its imagination, its vision. Our artists drive us forward. This is yet another example that the fact that Mr. Harper simply does not understand Canadians and does not trust Canadians in the choices they make.”

Amen, Justin Trudeau. Amen.

Let’s not forget about making deals with companies that are some of the worst polluters on the planet. Thanks, but no thanks, Harper. Canada is a gorgeous country. I haven’t seen much of it, but what I have seen is breathtaking. Banff is one of the most spectacular places I’ve been, with mountains breaking up the skyline, snow peaks and all. Stunning. Even my hometown of Sudbury is gorgeous at times, surrounded by parks, lakes, and waterfalls. Why are we on board with someone who’s threatening a slow, impending destruction of our environment? I’m not trying to be preachy, but I’d like to grow old in a world full of oceans, lakes, trees and beauty; not steel, polluted streets, dirty water and air. Just sayin’.

The last thing I’m going to mention isn’t really a jab at Harper (even though he’s not my favourite person in the world), it’s about us young Canadians. The Millennials outnumber the Baby Boomers. If you want to see a change, you need to help make this change. We’re the ones who will have to deal with the consequences in the future. Our children and our children’s children will be the ones who bear the brunt of our decisions. Canada is a young, technologically developed country, and as I said, the Millennial population is large. If every single young Canadian took the time to vote, we could have a country that we want. We’re at a point where we can see changes we want to see, and whether it be for better or worse, we can help make that change.

Vote any way you’d like, but just vote.

You can’t blame any one person if the outcome isn’t what you wanted, but if you at least cast a vote, you can say you did your part. Oh, and hey, Harper: calling us Canadians “ordinary people” doesn’t really make me want to keep you around.

A few weeks ago, while I was putting off being and adult and not finishing a to-do list, I decided to purchase a product that I thought would kick up my makeup game. Normally, I’m a huge fan of a neutral eye and a bright, bold red lip. Lately, however, I’ve been dabbling in the idea of “less is more”, at least when it comes to makeup. Sometimes, in order to appear like you’re wearing less, you need to put in a little bit more effort.

That’s where this palette comes in. I wrote about it a few weeks ago (click here if you want to read about it) when I first placed the order for it, and I’m thrilled to say that it’s finally here! It arrived yesterday, but I decided to wait until today to use it and show off the products, and their results!

1. MASKCARA’S CUSTOMIZABLE PALETTE
This is your highlight, contour, and blush palette. The contour should be darker than your skin tone, and is applied under your cheekbones (or, if you’re like me, where you think they would be if you had visible ones), on the temples, the sides of your nose, and on the jaw line. It adds a subtle ‘shadow’, leaving the illusion of a beautifully sculpted face. The highlighter is applied anywhere you’d imagine the sun hitting your face: under your eyes, the bridge of your nose, on your chin, between your eyebrows.. anywhere else on your face that you haven’t contoured. The blush is applied to the apples of your cheeks.

2. MASKCARA’S LIQUID PEARL ILLUMINATOR
This is your highlighter. This product is applied above your blush on the top of your cheekbones, and underneath your eyebrows. Basically, an illuminator is liquid shine; it picks up the sunshine and makes your face glow. Just don’t use too much of it, or you’re going to resemble Edward Cullen when the sunlight hits him. Big hard nope.

3. MASKCARA’S 30 SECOND HAC BRUSH AND IIID PERFECTOR
The doubled ended brush is perfect for your highlighting and contouring. The pointed edge gets right into the little spaces around your nose and under your eyes and makes applying this colour much easier and more precise. The other end is great for contouring because of it’s flatter, more condensed shape; it keeps lines tight but applies super smoothly. The perfector is used after you’ve applied the highlight, contour, and blush. Dampen the sponge, and then gently begin to pat your face with it, blending the edges of everything you’ve applied. This smooths out the lines and gives your face a flawless finish.

Et voila!

I’m pretty impressed with it overall. I wasn’t sure how the colours would work with my skin tone, but I followed the colour chart on the website and am quite happy with how it looks. The texture surprised me; it’s solid, but as soon as it makes contact with your skin it becomes creamy and smooth, and so blendable. Of course, it took me a little longer than it usually does to do my makeup, but I’m still getting used to the palette.

I’m 100% in love with it, though, and will more than likely be buying replacement highlight and contour discs soon. If you’re a fan of makeup and are looking to try something new, MaskCara’s definitely worth it.

I have been getting so bored with my look lately. I don’t like to change my up makeup too much; that requires more effort than it should. And plastic surgery is way too expensive. That last comment was a joke.

So obviously, the next best thing was to do something different with my hair. I hadn’t dyed my hair in years – seriously, years. It’s been virgin hair for a while now, and I wasn’t super keen on getting a crazy new haircut. But, I did need a haircut, so I figured that with all of the change going on lately, why not change my hair colour too. The last few weeks of Pinterest-ing different hair styles and colours have pushed me to want a nice, rich chocolate brown, so…

Here it is!

Doesn’t look too shabby, does it? I’m super digging the cut, too. Just the right amount of layers, a bit of a side bang, and about an inch and a half shorter. Here’s a quick before and after:

Going lighter is a bigger commitment than going darker, and roots are much more manageable when your hair is already similar to the colour you’re dying it. The darkness itself will eventually fade out a bit, but I’m absolutely in love with the colour. It makes my green eyes pop more than they already do. I still look pale, but the contrast between the dark hair and lighter skin is kind of on point.